India (Commonwealth Union)_ The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed India’s receipt of an invitation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the Maldives’ president-elect, Mohamed Muizzu. However, Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson for the MEA, highlighted that the decision on India’s representation at the event would be disclosed in the forthcoming days. Responding to inquiries about India’s receipt of an invitation to the Maldives President’s oath-taking ceremony, Mr. Bagchi affirmed, “We have received the invitation for the Prime Minister to attend that. We will let you know once we have a decision on who will represent us and in what capacity…We have received an invitation.”
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Mohamed Muizzu, the candidate from the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), secured victory in the Maldivian presidential elections last month, achieving over 53 percent of the vote in the second round, following a 46 percent lead in the first round, surpassing Ibrahim Solih’s 39 percent. Prime Minister Modi extended congratulations and well-wishes to Muizzu following his triumph in the Maldivian presidential elections.
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Expressing his congratulations on X, a platform formerly known as Twitter, PM Modi posted, “Congratulations and greetings to @MMuizzu on being elected as President of the Maldives. India remains committed to strengthening the time-tested India-Maldives bilateral relationship and enhancing our overall cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region.” In subsequent diplomatic moves, the Indian High Commissioner to the Republic of the Maldives, Munu Mahawar, met with the newly elected Maldivian President, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, delivering Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory message to the newly appointed leader.
Previously, the MEA highlighted New Delhi’s anticipation of engaging with the new administration in Male, expressing India’s commitment to fortifying the time-honored bilateral relationship with the Maldives and intensifying overall cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. Bagchi reinforced India’s approach towards capacity building and collective efforts to tackle mutual challenges and priorities. Collaboration on regional concerns like transnational crimes and Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) was highlighted as an essential focus for the partnership between India and the Maldives. India looks forward to robust engagement with the new administration in the Maldives on these shared issues.
